Brownlow Medallist

"This isn't about one decision, its not about particular wins and losses. This has been something that we have deliberated over past months and having arrived at a decision, we are now presenting it today. This is about the future of the club and I think as I have highlighted both Steve and Ross leave a very strong legacy at this club."
...
"The decision that we have made today in relation to our senior coach comes from us not being in a position to take our senior coach forward post 2020. And we are concerned if we did not make this decision today we would be in a sense treading water for twelve months. So we have brought that forward and made that decision today."
...
Reporter: "Why now and not earlier in the season when they lost five out of six games ..."
Alcock, interrupting: "As I indicated, this is not about individual wins and losses and its pretty clear we have had some challenges this season with injury so we need to take that into account. This is about the future of the club as I have indicated for the next five or ten years and where we see ourselves both on-field and off-field."
Reporter: "Just on that was there any hesitance from the club about their inability to potentially retain key players? Because we have lost key players previously and there is some talk about some key guys leaving this year. Was that at all a concern?"
Alcock: "Clearly many things have been considered in it but as I've said and I'll repeat it again: we were not in a position to extend Ross's contract post 2020. That is a decision that we have made. Having made that decision, what we did not want to do was to go into season 2020 with this being out for public debate and the pressure that comes with that. And that in fairness to our coach Ross Lyon frees him up to pursue his future and it also frees our club up with clear direction for the future and that is what we are doing here."
...
Reporter: "Was a lack of skill development one of your concerns as a Board?"
Alcock: "There are many things that were in our consideration. There are not single factors and I'm certainly not going to drift off into discussion of what is [has] made up the final decision."

I don't think four losing seasons in a row helped Ross Lyon at all. Those four losing seasons may well have been the main factor in the sacking.

But Alcock's statements suggest that there may have been more to his dismissal than making finals this year.

Too many unknowns for me. For example Lyon may have told the club that he would only extend his contract for 3 plus years minimum, which the club wouldn't accept. But that fits the statement as well as any other conjecture.